On The Inside | Art Exhibition

On the Inside is a group show of LGBTQ artists who are currently incarcerated. It is the culmination of a multi-year project conceived of by Tatiana von Furstenberg, in collaboration with Black and Pink. The exhibition was first held at the Abrons Art Center in New York in the winter of 2016. From June 2 until September 8, 2019 the second exhibition was on view at Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles.

The project started with a small ad in the Black and Pink newsletter, a monthly publication filled with prisoner-generated content, sharing stories about prison life. Ignited and inspired by this call for art, more than four thousand pieces were submitted.

Forced to cope with a non-inclusive society, many marginalized Americans end up incarcerated because they lack resources and privilege. All too often these essential voices are silenced, in this case, because they are locked behind concrete and steel. Through the lens of art, we on the outside have the opportunity to bear witness to the suffering and also celebrate the resilience of the artists who are locked up.

All of the artists were compensated for their work. This directly impacts the prisoners’ ability to provide for their well-being while incarcerated. On the Inside has created a way for the public to directly interact with the incarcerated artists.

Patrons were able to text the artists through a transcribing service. Long term PenPals were be arranged onsite. The art is not for sale.

Credit: Producer / Archivist